Our Ref: MGLA260419-1320 24 May 2019 Dear Thank You for Your

(By email)

Our Ref: MGLA260419-1320

24 May 2019

Dear

Thank you for your request for information which the GLA received on 25 April 2019. Your request has been dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

You asked for;

I’m seeking copies of correspondence sent or received by members of the mayoral team in relation to the recent climate change protests by the activist group Extinction Rebellion. Please provide:

• Copies of all relevant emails sent or received by Sadiq Khan between 14 April 2019 and 25 April 2019. • Copies of all relevant emails sent or received by Shirley Rodrigues between 14 April 2019 and 25 April 2019.

To help you locate the relevant correspondence, please search these email accounts for messages sent or received between the specified dates and containing the keywords “Extinction Rebellion”, “climate”, “protest” or “protests”.

Please find attached information. Please note that the emails we have located within scope of your request relating to the Mayor are from members of the public and third parties. Some of the information is therefore exempt from disclosure under s.40 (Personal information) of the Freedom of Information Act. This information could potentially identify specific employees or members of the public and as such constitutes as personal data which is defined by Article 4(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to mean any information relating to an identified or identifiable living individual. It is considered that disclosure of this information would contravene the first data protection principle under Article 5(1) of GDPR which states that Personal data must be processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner in relation to the data subject.

If you have any further questions relating to this matter, please contact me, quoting the reference at the top of this letter.

Yours sincerely

Information Governance Officer

If you are unhappy with the way the GLA has handled your request, you may complain using the GLA’s FOI complaints and internal review procedure, available at: https://www.london.gov.uk/about-us/governance-and-spending/sharing-our- information/freedom-information

abandoned it as 'unachievable'. Google’s conclusions were in IEEE Spectrum "What it would really take to reverse climate change". No current technology can avoid our species extinction. We need "truly disruptive technology" to survive. Since then we have ignored titans like Professor Wally Broecker, the Father of the climate science "No amount of carbon reduction can void disaster". We are long past Stephen Hawking's 'tipping point', indeed it maybe that Dr Mayer Hillman is right ‐ maybe we are already 'doomed' (Guardian).

What Google did not foresee is that the technology would be invented but not deployed because it would, indeed, be 'truly disruptive" and who wants change. It will, indeed, mean huge change in replacing coal, oil and gas and also EV and wind turbines, and all post Kyoto cu‐ de‐sac' alternatives; all fine until their carbon footprints told us they go, or we do. Extinction Rebellion is disrupting ordinary lives because just as the establishment and the Elite are denying the people Brexit so these same people find it inconceivable that we should embrace change if it means wasting assets or avoiding the status quo – as GBS put it "Progress depends upon the unreasonable man".

One can only hope that Extinction Rebellion makes enough ‘business as usual’ impossible soon enough for 'action' to be effcetive. We are out of time. Even a global deployment tomorrow of my technology cannot reverse climate change in decade.

We need to ‘panic’ in its sense of coming to fear a future so grim that we have no choice: we must avoid it no less than strenuously than we resisted Hitler – with all we’ve got.

That means using this or better technology if it comes to hand, to convert cars to run clean, take homes and factories, et al 'off grid', make ships and trains et al run clean, and recover carbon from the atmosphere. All out of free sunlight and nitrogen, which makes up 78% of our air. No one invents anything – we merely find what’s already there.

Consumerism was never about money, save to the none so blind, it was always about carbon and the price now has to be paid; or few, if any of us, will live to see 2050 dawn.

We are, now – this day ‐ in real grim trouble, which Michael Gove no more begins to ‘get’ than does Clair Perry or Greg Clark – they are happy Fracking – Oh My!

Tonight Sir David Attenborough will tell us there is hope. With respect that is sweetening the pill. There is none as matters stand. Greta Thunberg was ignored at Davos when she told the ‘elite’ ~ “ I don’t want you to be hopeful, I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day and I want you to act.”

I trust XR will not stop without a commitment from every party in the House to deploy the technology I am happy to give away if that is the best way to reverse climate change.

2 19

2 2

"They've had their picture, fair enough, that's all you need now. Why is he spending 15 minutes on top of the Tube? Explain that."

The protests have also faced criticism from a representative for businesses based in London's West End, who warned disruption caused to the shopping district could cost companies hundreds of millions of pounds.

Jace Tyrell, chief executive of the New West End Company, told Sky News the protest had brought a feeling of "intimidation" and on average caused a 25% drop in spending in the area, adding GBP12 million less was spent on Tuesday.

A bright pink boat has been parked on Oxford Street in recent days as part of the protests and Mr Tyrell warned the cost to businesses could rise if Oxford Circus and Marble Arch stations are not opened "pretty quickly".

"What we would like to see is the mayor and the Met to find a more appropriate location in Central London for the protesters to continue their peaceful protest but not hold the West End to ransom," Mr Tyrell said.

"West End businesses fully support the right to protest but actually this is causing significant damage to our area." http://mediapoint.press.net/article.jsp?id=20726467

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2 7

The man and woman unfurled a banner reading “Climate Emergency – Act Now” and glued themselves to the top of the train. Other activists glued themselves to the train. Within minutes of the action, Transport for London’s website reported “delays between Bank and Lewisham due to a customer incident at Canary Wharf”.

One man who was glued to the train, who gave his name as Mark, was removed by officers at 11.45am. Two protesters remained glued to the roof of the train. One, Cathy Eatburn, 51, said she was taking part for her teenage daughters’ futures.

“I don’t want to be here today and I’m really sorry for the disruption but I feel I have been forced to do this,” she said. “I have two daughters and I can’t sit by while their future is threatened … The government is doing nothing – we have to force them to act.”

The two protesters who had glued themselves to the roof of the train were finally removed by police at 12.40pm.

Gail Bradbrook, an Extinction Rebellion co-founder who was at the scene, explained why Canary Wharf had been chosen for the protest.

“This is the heart of the system that is bringing us to our knees causing huge disruption and chaos around the world … so we want people to pause and reflect,” she said.

Bradbrook described the protest as relatively small and said the group would reflect on its success before decide whether to escalate the transport demonstrations in the coming days.

Climate protesters climb on top of train at Canary Wharf – video

Peter, who works in financial services in Canary Wharf and did not want to give his surname, was watching from the platform as police tried to remove the protesters.

“I think it’s a great thing,” said the 30-year-old. “It’s raising awareness and it’s made me think about this issue and made me come out here away from my desk and engage with what is obviously a very serious issue.”

Thousands of people have taken part in the protests, blockading four landmarks in London in an attempt to force the government to take action on the climate crisis.

On Wednesday afternoon, the four sites – Marble Arch, Waterloo Bridge, Parliament Square and Oxford Circus – remained under the control of protesters, causing delays and diversions in the surrounding areas.

Almost 300 arrests were made in the first two days of the protest. Further arrests were made on Wednesday at the Oxford Circus and Waterloo Bridge sites.

Police arrested about nine people at Waterloo Bridge just after rush hour on Wednesday morning, according to an Extinction Rebellion activist at the scene.

“We are all noticing that they [the police] are not well staffed,” said Sarah Pethybridge, 65, from Cornwall, who had been there since 8.30am. “The police haven’t got the kind of numbers that we would expect. I don’t know, but [I think] the fact that we are spread out spreads their work, and we just get the feeling that they have to work very tactically because they don’t have enough people to come down hard.”

By midday the atmosphere on the bridge was relaxed, with some people watching a string ensemble playing at a stage, while others danced to pop music blaring from a small sound system.

As the Guardian watched, a call went out from the stage for activists to make their way to Oxford Circus, where police were making more arrests.

2 10 After arresting about a dozen people before 1pm, police returned in force at about 2pm and started making more arrests. The Guardian witnessed at least half a dozen protesters carried away by squads of officers, who first attempted to persuade their targets to leave of their own accord, then to walk away with them on foot, before picking them up or, in some cases, half dragging them to waiting vans.

Extinction Rebellion protesters, activists and legal observers said that some arrestees are being taken to police stations outside of London, lending credence to persistent rumours that the Metropolitan police’s holding cells are being filled to capacity by the numbers of arrests during the protests. Several people said they had heard that people were being taken to Luton, while others mentioned Brighton and Essex as locations arrested protesters were being taken.

The Metropolitan police would not confirm or deny the claim. A spokesperson said: “Those who have been arrested are being taken to MPS custody suites throughout London. Contingency plans are in place should custody suites become full. We will not discuss [the matter] further for operational reasons.”

The events in London are part of an international “climate rebellion” organised by Extinction Rebellion. Organisers said protests had taken place or were planned in 80 cities across 33 countries – from India to Australia, and around Europe and the US. In The Hague on Tuesday, activists occupied the international criminal court building.

Twenty-nine arrests were made in Edinburgh on Tuesday night after police cleared remaining activists who were sitting down across the city’s North Bridge. By 6am on Wednesday, all had been released and charged with breach of the peace, to appear in court at a later date. There are no further actions planned in Scotland this week but a number of protesters say they will travel to London to support activists there.

Extinction Rebellion was formed in the UK last year and held its first civil disobedience protests in London in November. It is calling on the UK government to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2025 and establish a citizens’ assembly to devise an emergency plan of action to tackle climate breakdown and biodiversity loss.

On Tuesday, Supt Colin Wingrove, of the Metropolitan police, confirmed a section 14 order was in place and called on the protesters to leave Waterloo Bridge, Oxford Circus and Parliament Square but they could continue their demonstration at Marble Arch.

“In order to impose this condition, the Met required evidence that serious disruption was being caused to communities in London. We so far have 55 bus routes closed and 500,000 people affected as a result … we are satisfied that this threshold has been met and this course of action is necessary.”

Press Officer, Mayor of London’s Press Office GREATERLONDONAUTHORITY City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA 020 7983 | 07749 london.gov.uk london.gov.uk Follow the Mayor of London’s Press Office on Twitter: @LDN PressOffice

3 11

One officer at the scene who has been on night shift added: "We don't know exactly what they're planning. We just want to go home."

Page 5

Protester and climate lawyer Farhana Yamin, who was arrested on Tuesday, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I totally want to apologise to people using public transport.

"But at the same time we need to take actions that are disruptive so everyone understands the dangers we're facing right now.

"I'm not someone who goes out on to the streets and disrupts and gets arrested for no reason at all ‐ but I feel people should understand that we are at a critical moment in our humanity's history."

She asked those affected to "take a pause" and consider why action was being taken by activists.

No details of the form of protests were disclosed, amid suggestions that some activists will attempt to disrupt sections of the Tube network by gluing themselves to trains.

Page 6

Wi‐fi at Tube stations has been disabled in a bid to stop campaigners planning to disrupt services co‐ordinating their protest.

A British Transport Police (BTP) spokeswoman said: "In the interests of safety and to prevent and deter serious disruption to the London Underground network, British Transport Police has taken the decision to restrict passenger wi‐fi connectivity at Tube stations.

"We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and we would like to assure passengers that this decision is not taken lightly and will be reviewed throughout the day."

Page 7

Two protesters from Extinction Rebellion staged a protest on the roof of a DLR train at Canary Wharf station.

The protesters, a man and a woman, said they were staging a "peaceful protest", and were planning to glue themselves to the train.

They were stood holding a banner with "climate emergency" written on it.

Page 8

A third protester glued his hand to the window of the train.

Sefan White, 24, who works for a company that produces bar snacks in sustainable packaging, was stopped getting to work by the protesters.

He said: "I work for company that makes a bar snacks in 100% recycled packaging ‐ the first in the UK.

"I'm devastated. I'm trying to get to a job now. We've got to go round Camden on a 30‐pub journey and we're going to be late now.

2 15 "We're probably going to lose money today.

"They've had their picture, fair enough, that's all you need now. Why is he spending 15 minutes on top of the tube? Explain that."

Page 9

British Transport Police have arrived at the platform, along with train staff and station security.

The entrance to the platform has now been closed as police officers attempt to remove the protester who has glued himself to the train.

Page 10

A BTP spokesman said: "At 10.50am officers were called to Canary Wharf DLR station after reports of protesters obstructing a DLR train in the station platforms. Units are in the process of responding, including specialist teams trained in protest removal.

"Officers continue to remind passengers to check with Transport for London before travelling."

Page 11

Police removed a man who had glued himself to a DLR train at Canary Wharf station.

He was taken outside by police offers and arrested.

Two remaining protesters glued themselves to the roof of the train.

Page 12

Transport for London said the DLR stunt has caused only minor delays.

Meanwhile, the number of arrests made connected to the demonstrations has risen to more than 300, Scotland Yard said.

The force said it was now "in the process of moving demonstrators on Waterloo Bridge" and "those that do not comply may be arrested".

Extinction Rebellion has claimed police cells in the capital are full and "operating on a one‐in, one‐out capacity".

But the Metropolitan Police has said it has "contingency plans in place" should they run out of space.

Page 13

Music student Anouska Stahlmann has said the protests are "seriously flawed" after her mother and elderly grandparents were forced to walk across London to find alternative transport.

The 20‐year‐old's mother has lupus while her grandparents are in their 70s and were travelling from their home in Buckinghamshire to see Ms Stahlmann's sister perform in a play in south‐east London.

3 16 "Considering my grandma has sciatica and my grandad has asthma, disruption on the Tubes is not an option," she told the Press Association. "They really risk being stuck in a tunnel."

Ms Stahlmann said the trio are now walking across the city to catch a London Overground service.

"I have no issue with wanting to better the environment and we're fairly conscious of it as a family," she said. "Their methods, however, are seriously flawed and are not inclusive of people who want to support the cause.

"I find it awful they're disintegrating into a rent‐a‐mob mentality really. I'd expect better."

Asked whether she felt the Extinction Rebellion's methods are counter‐productive, Ms Stahlmann said: "I mean, we're all being told to use public transport as it's healthier for the environment but, now, everyone is going to get in their cars instead today because it's going to be more reliable."

Page 14

Extinction Rebellion has said it is "really disappointed" in the Metropolitan Police for its response to protests.

A comment from its official Twitter account reads: "Really disappointed in the police. As soon as our international solidarity event started, police moved in to begin arresting people.

"We are here to show solidarity. Let us talk about the climate crisis. Let us tell the truth."

Page 15

Forty environmental protesters are staging a demonstration in central London, outside the AGM of energy firm Drax.

Drax operates the largest biomass‐fuelled power station in Europe, situated in North Yorkshire.

The company receives green energy subsidies from the government. The protesters claim that by burning biomass, Drax produces as much carbon as burning coal.

They plan to walk from Drax's AGM to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on Wednesday afternoon.

Duncan Law, 59, a campaigner from Biofuelwatch, said: "We say we need to be dedicating all our intelligence, Drax's included, to achieving a genuine transition to a low carbon future.

"At the moment, we need the money that's going to them to go to a smart, decentralised, democratised, genuinely low carbon electricity energy system. This is an obscenity."

Page 16

British Transport Police said it had made two further arrests following the protest on train at Canary Wharf DLR station.

It said a man and a woman were in custody, held on suspicion of obstructing the railway.

Page 17

4 17 A representative for businesses based in London's West End has warned disruption caused to the shopping hotspot by the climate protests could cost companies hundreds of millions of pounds.

Jace Tyrell, chief executive of the New West End Company, told Sky News the protest had brought a feeling of "intimidation" to the West End shopping district and, on average, caused a 25% drop in spending in the area, with GBP12 million less spent on Tuesday.

He warned the cost could rise to the hundreds of millions if Oxford Circus and Marble Arch stations are not opened "pretty quickly".

"What we would like to see is the mayor and the Met to find a more appropriate location in central London for the protesters to continue their peaceful protest but not hold the West End to ransom," he said.

"West End businesses fully support the right to protest but actually this is causing significant damage to our area."

Referencing protests seen in France in recent weeks, Mr Tyrell added: "We're not saying we're there yet but if we don't grip this and find the appropriate locations then we could see similar activities that are happening in Paris continue in London, which would be hugely damaging at a time when our retailers really need all the support they can get."

Page 18

Buddhist minister Yanai Postelnik, who teaches Dharma, he "doesn't know when protests will end".

The 54‐year‐old, who was arrested at 2am on Monday while coordinating the rebellion at Waterloo Bridge, said: "If the Government get the media to communicate the urgency of the situation, put in place legislation for carbon neutrality by 2025, and reverse all legislation that is inconsistent with it, and create a citizens' assembly that truly represents a collection of the population, we will think about moving.

"It's not just about using our voice which seems to be able to be ignored when you sign a petition or join a march.

"Bringing people onto the street who are willing to take a risk for our grandchildren, their grandchildren and even the police officers' grandchildren, Shell corporation's grandchildren and for all species in different part of the world, is so powerful.

"And what cannot be ignored is the presence of warm vulnerable human bodies which is basically our foundation at Extinction Rebellion."

Page 19

Officers in three police vans arrived at Waterloo Bridge as protesters expected further arrests.

In preparation, protesters positioned themselves in a line to make things more difficult for officers.

Page 20

Springwatch presenter Chris Packham has joined Extinction Rebellion protesters at Oxford Circus.

The naturalist tweeted a picture of the crowds with the message: "Spirits high and the mood is peaceful and resolute at Oxford Circus with @ExtinctionR"

Page 21

5 18 Buddhist minister Yanai Postelnik was among around half a dozen protesters arrested by officers on Waterloo Bridge.

Page 22

Four Extinction Rebellion protesters have glued themselves together outside Jeremy Corbyn's north London home in what they said was a bid to get the Labour leader to commit to tackling climate change.

The activists said they are "all Jeremy Corbyn supporters" but want the Labour Party to go further than declaring a "climate emergency".

Page 23

TV presenter and naturalist Chris Packham said he had come to Oxford Circus to show solidarity with climate change protesters.

He added: "I believe the world's leaders are not acting urgently enough to avert a climate catastrophe.

"As long as it is peaceful and democratic then they can count on my support."

Page 24

One of the protesters outside the home of Jeremy Corbyn chained herself to the leader of the Opposition's garden fence with a bike lock.

Page 25

Mr Packham told the cheering crowds that the difference between them and world leaders was that leaders were not listening.

Addressing Extinction Rebellion protesters in Oxford Circus he added: "There is no doubt at all that we face all sorts of problems.

"But I stand here as an optimist, I believe our species is resourceful, adaptable and intelligent and we can come up with the solutions and implement them for positive change.

"But we don't do that with short‐term vision, we don't do that with short‐term politics.

"The key to our success is to remain peaceful and democratic, the key to our success is to continue to tell the truth and not get goaded into excitable mistruths.

"Ultimately people will listen and we will win."

Page 26

Chris Packham told reporters that the protesters will have to keep being imaginative to get their message across and attract people's attention.

But he stressed the demonstrations had to remain "peaceful and democratic" and not resort to criminal violence.

6 19 Mr Packham added: "We don't need to damage anything."

Page 27

Jeremy Corbyn has declined to meet protesters today after they chained themselves to the garden fence of his home in Islington, a spokesman told reporters waiting outside.

Easter eggs and flowers from the protesters, which had been taken into Mr Corbyn's home earlier, were returned to the street by the Labour leader's wife Laura Alvarez.

Page 28

Packham said commuters annoyed by travel disruptions during the protest should know that the activists were demonstrating because of their concerns for tomorrow.

He added: "People have to realise if their life is being disrupted today the reason is we have grave concerns for tomorrow."

He said demonstrators were not picking a fight with the police, and added: "The relationship with the police has been good ‐ I know there have been arrests, but they have been good‐ natured.

"The police are doing their job. We are not here to fall out with the police but we are here to draw attention to our Government ‐ and the world's governments ‐ of the pressing concerns."

Page 29

Jeremy Corbyn left his home in Islington without speaking to the protesters chained to his garden fence.

Page 30

A group of demonstrators dressed all in red to represent "the blood of the extinction" have arrived at Waterloo Bridge and climbed onto a bus stop.

A member told the Press Association: "We are representing the blood on our hands, greed and the loss of several species across the world."

Page 31

Mr Corbyn left his home without speaking to the protesters.

Page 32

The four protesters chained to Jeremy Corbyn's garden fence have left.

When asked why, Tracee Williams, 55, said: "I don't think this was a misstep but whether we'd do it again, I'm not so sure.

"We just really felt we had to bring it to his front door.

7 20 "I feel absolutely terrible about upsetting his wife."

Earlier, Skeena Rathor, a Labour district councillor for Stroud said: "I feel really sorry and sad and guilty."

They said they have had conversations with Mr Corbyn's staff about a potential meeting next week.

Page 33

The Metropolitan Police events unit, which manages protests and special events, tweeted: "Contrary to rumours circulating, our custody suites are not full and we are continuing to arrest those who are breaking the law. Those who continue to demonstrate in areas where a S14 is in place may face prosecution. No one arrested has been taken to a suite outside of London."

Page 34

Roads around Parliament Square remain closed to cars and other vehicles.

Environmental protesters were dancing to samba music in the street and reading "letters to the Earth" from a podium on the green in the middle of the square.

Campaigners have also taken part in a live demonstration of an exercise designed to simulate the workings of a "Citizen's Assembly", the creation of which is one of Extinction Rebellion's demands.

Page 35

The Metropolitan Police have said the number of arrests linked to the climate change protest has risen to 340.

A Met statement said: "As of 5pm on Wednesday 17 April, a total of 340 arrests have been made since Monday."

Conditions ordering protesters to gather at Marble Arch only have been extended for a further three days in the areas of Parliament Square and Oxford Circus, the force added. http://mediapoint.press.net/article.jsp?id=20723667

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8 21

Mr Khan’s solidarity with the demonstrators appeared to have been born out of the fact he attended last month’s march for a second referendum. “I was at a protest myself a few weeks ago, protesting, campaigning and lobbying on whether the public should have a final say on staying in the union and given the option of what parliament’s voted for,” he declared, likening the climate protesters to suffragettes.

He even generously conceded that he would support a protest he didn’t believe in, adding: “You don’t have to be a left of centre to be able to protest on London, you can be a right of centre person or somebody who holds views that I would find deeply objectionable.”

Yet one wonders how the London mayor would treat a protest against his beloved Ultra Low Emission Zone, which is going to make travelling in central London doubly expensive for the diesel drivers Labour incentivised in the first place?

Accusing Mr Khan of “grandstanding”, Tory MP Bob Neill, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on London, suggested the London mayor’s approach had spectacularly backfired. “Khan's got a history of passing the buck onto others - and blaming the Government for failing to tackle climate change is just another example of this. Sadiq is all talk and not enough delivery."

Telegraph Media Group Ltd.

Senior Press Officer, Mayor of London’s Press Office GREATERLONDONAUTHORITY City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA 020 7983 | london.gov.uk london.gov.uk; @LDN_PressOffice

2 23

Page 2

The Met said it had cancelled officers' rest days and leave over the Easter weekend in order to deal with the disruption, as well as violent crime.

The force said: "Throughout the course of today, Thursday, 18 April, we will have had more than 1,000 officers on the streets policing the demonstrations.

"This is putting a strain on the Met and we have now asked officers on the boroughs to work 12-hour shifts; we have cancelled rest days and our Violent Crime Task Force (VCTF) have had their leave cancelled.

"This allows us to free up significant numbers of officers whilst responding to local policing. We would also like to reassure people that we have ring-fenced the VCTF so we retain the capacity to deal with any unrelated violent incidents.

"However, the protesters need to understand that their demonstration is meaning officers are being diverted away from their core local duties that help keep London safe and that this will have implications in the weeks and months beyond this protest as officers take back leave and the cost of overtime."

Page 3

Met Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave said the Extinction Rebellion protests are "increasing in intensity" and warned any protesters considering targeting Heathrow Airport to expect "a robust response".

He told the Press Association: "The fact it's gone on for the number of days it has does mean it's increasing in intensity - of course the disruption that Londoners have faced has continued over those days.

"We have had information that the protesters intend to target Heathrow Airport. We want to make it very clear that we are aware of that - it's been made very obvious in social media." 2 31 He added: "Protesters can expect a robust police response. We are determined to keep the airport operating."

Mr Ephgrave said 1,000 police officers had been devoted to covering the protests.

Page 4

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: "I'm extremely concerned by reports that climate protesters are planning to disrupt Heathrow Airport tomorrow. This is extremely dangerous, illegal and is putting an unacceptable toll on our police force and our city.

"I support the democratic right to peaceful protest and agree that governments need to do more to tackle climate change, but these protests are now putting Londoners' safety at risk.

"More than 1,000 police officers have been responding to the protests across London this week and more than 460 people have been arrested. The operation is having a significant impact on the police, with rest days and leave being cancelled for officers. The Met have requested mutual aid support from other police forces to support their operation at Heathrow.

"Our hard-working police officers have my full backing in their efforts to keep Londoners safe and to keep our city running, but I am now very concerned about the impact the protests will have on our ability to tackle issues like violent crime if they continue any longer.

"I urge everyone to co-operate with the police and comply with their instructions by attending Marble Arch as part of the legal protest - Marble Arch is the designated place that anyone wanting to protest should attend. If protesters don't, and break the law, the police will have no choice but to make arrests. "

Page 5

3 32 The number of arrests linked to the climate change protest in central London has risen to 480 as of 5.50pm on Thursday, Scotland Yard said.

Page 6

Mr Ephgrave said although the Met were aware of the planned protest, they had not known what scale it would be.

"That has developed as the days have passed," he said.

Extinction Rebellion has said the current protest will end on April 29.

Mr Ephgrave said: "The one thing about this protest that is absolutely true is that there has been no violence whatsoever or any disorder.

"The protests have been good natured, the protesters have been good natured albeit it has proved a very difficult challenge to police."

He warned protesters to think carefully about the prospect of getting a criminal record.

"It's a very significant thing and it has huge, life-changing effects so I would ask people if they want to protest - go to the place you can do that lawfully which is Marble Arch."

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4 33

Tom Burridge package includes vox pops with commuters disgruntled by the delay to Crossrail. It is an incredibly impressive piece of engineering – but a senior source connected with the project says that it may not be complete until the spring of 2021. A best case scenario is the Spring of next year. The budget was £14.8bn – but that rose to £17,6bn – that figure is expected to rise again. Software on the trains is still not fully compatible with signalling and marrying them up is proving much tougher than envisaged.

Phillip Haigh – Rail Magazine – the real problems are building the stations and installing the cabling and cameras and platform doors.

The initial delay was only made public last summer – just weeks before the line was due to open. Crossrail say testing on the trains and signalling is going well and it is finalising plans t open the line at the earliest opportunity.

Focus on London’s new young people’s laureate.

Spurs won in the European Cup last night.

Piece on how to avoid tree pollen this weekend.

2 35

In a letter to the Home Secretary he said Government cuts have impacted the Met's capacity to respond to the demonstrations.

"The Met's ability to police protests without impacting on core policing priorities - such as tackling knife crime - has been made significantly harder by the huge cuts to Government police funding," he wrote.

Sajid Javid said the force had his full support to police the protests after meeting with Met Commissioner Cressida Dick.

He said: "I have spoken to the Met Commissioner today to offer her whatever support she may need and pass on my appreciation to the thousands of officers patrolling the streets of the capital over the Bank Holiday."

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2 37 protesters to cause further disruption and misery to thousands of travellers, many of them families, over Easter.

"We would urge any protester planning to attend Heathrow to strongly reconsider."

The Met have arrested more than 500 protesters as illegal demonstrations continue at Waterloo Bridge, Oxford Circus and Parliament Square, while demonstrations are allowed to continue only at Marble Arch.

The arrests are for obstructing the highway and breaching the Section 14 order that prohibits protests apart from at Marble Arch, and 10 people have been charged with those offences.

A further three people who have been charged by British Transport Police appeared in court on Thursday morning.

A spokesman for the XR group said activists will be staging protest action at Heathrow on Friday, with around 500,000 people expected to fly out for Easter breaks over the bank holiday weekend.

Speaking after a briefing with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick on Thursday, the Home Secretary said she had told him that more than 1,000 officers were being deployed to the streets of the capital each day of the protests.

"Let me be clear - I totally condemn any protesters who are stepping outside the boundaries of the law," Mr Javid said.

"They have no right to cause misery for the millions of people who are trying to lead their daily lives. Unlawful behaviour will not be tolerated.

"I expect the police to take a firm stance and use the full force of the law."

Scotland Yard said officers have been asked to work 12-hour shifts, while rest days and leave has been cancelled.

The force said that although the Violent Crime Task Force (VCTF) has 2 39 been ring-fenced, the protests are diverting officers away from their local duties.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has written a letter to the Home Secretary about the increasing cost of policing a growing number of protests in London, and he is working with the Met to consider making a special grant claim over the current demonstrations.

The fourth day of protests - which have seen activists glue themselves to public transport and block bridges and major roads across the capital - began with a challenge to Environment Secretary Michael Gove to meet with activists at Parliament Square to find a solution to the issue.

And organisers said they expected even more people to join the protests, with a statement - which was later deleted - adding: "Easter weekend is tomorrow and thousands more rebels will join.

"Police struggle to arrest 350 and there are 10 times that number prepared to be arrested.

"The hollowed-out British state is overwhelmed."

Cathy Eastburn, 51, Mark Ovland, 35, and Luke Watson, 29, were remanded in custody after they were charged over their alleged involvement in obstructing trains at Canary Wharf station on Wednesday morning.

All three indicated a not guilty plea when they appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court.

Speaking from Waterloo Bridge, Dr Gail Bradbrook, a co-founder of the XR group, said demonstrators would continue to act despite the first people being charged over the disruption.

"It (the charges) might put some people off and we escalated our strategy by focusing on the rail infrastructure," she told the Press Association.

"It's certainly an option that tactics will be escalated if our demands are not met," she said.

3 40

The Met has called on other forces for extra officers to support its operation and keep Heathrow open. It warned it would take “robust” and “firm” action against anyone breaking the law by obstructing routes to the airport or flights.

A Met spokesman said: “We will not allow the illegal activities of protesters to cause further disruption and misery to thousands of travellers, many of them families, over Easter. We would urge any protester planning to attend Heathrow to strongly reconsider."

Scotland Yard has arrested more than 460 protesters at the protests at Waterloo Bridge, Marble Arch, Oxford Circus and Parliament Square.

However, police admitted yesterday the protests were “increasing in intensity” as activists started launching so‐ called “swarming roadblocks” where they stand in front of other major junctions to unfurl banners and block junctions.

XR organisers also said they were summoning “thousands more” demonstrators from around the country to be arrested.

Former Met Commissioner Lord Stevens urged the force to abandon its lenient approach, adding that the resulting transport chaos was “absolutely beyond acceptance.”

He said: “Where the mistake has been made is to give them the authority or give them the ability to do this. And what’s happened is they’ve stayed there,” he said during an interview with LBC radio. The bottom line is, you have to get in there, you have to make the arrests and clear the streets.”

Lord Stevens, who as Met Commissioner sanctioned the controversial tactic of “kettling” protesters during the 2001 May Day riots in London, warned that the failure to shut down the protests could actually be contributing to London’s rising knife crime crisis.

“A lot of police will be taken from boroughs outside London,” he said. “We know from past experience that when that happens crime goes up ‐ and here we are in the middle of a knife crime crisis and we really have to get on with it.”

He added that stalemate between police and protesters had become so entrenched that the time may have come for politicians to meet leaders of the group and then encourage them to break up the protests. But he concluded: “The police have to enforce the law, that’s the bottom line.”

Mr Khan yesterday wrote to the Home Secretary saying Government cuts were hampering the Met’s ability to police the protests and put him on notice of a claim for compensation for the cost of policing them.

2 43

He highlighted the increasing cost of policing a growing number of protests in London, and said he was working with the Met to consider claiming for a special grant to help with costs for the current demonstrations.

He has said on Twitter that the world is “facing a climate emergency” and that he “fully supports the right of protesters to protest on this vital issue”, while urging organisers to “work with police to ensure their demonstrations are peaceful and lawful and that disruption is kept to a minimum”.

The environment secretary, Michael Gove, said: “We’ve got the message,” after some activists glued themselves to a train and others chained themselves to a garden fence at the home of the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

Claire Perry, the energy and climate change minister, also said that she “got the science, motivation and passion driving climate emergency protests” but could not see that “disrupting one of world’s busiest transport systems … blocking emergency routes and making life difficult for so many is going to build consensus and support for the changes we need”.

2 45



 Travel – protestors are en route to Heathrow with traffic slower than usual. Waterloo, Marble Arch, Oxford Circus still blocked due to protestors

ITV London news / GMB

 Climate change activists will attempt to shut down Heathrow today – Heathrow agrees action on Climate Change is needed but asked them not to cause disruption. 

GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY ‐ 19/04/2019

2 47 Trio glued to trains are now stuck behind bars The Times, 19/04/2019, p.7, John Simpson Article Three environmental activists accused of obstructing London's transport network by supergluing themselves to a train were remanded in custody yesterday. Cathy Eastburn, 51, Mark Ovland, 35, and Luke Watson, 29, appeared before magistrates facing charges relating to an Extinction Rebellion protest at Canary Wharf station on Wednesday morning. The court was told that they had stuck themselves to a Docklands Light Railway train.

Also in The Times, p.1 , The Times, p.39 , The Guardian, p.34 , The Guardian, p.1 , Daily Express, p.12 , Daily Express, p.11 , The Sun, p.8

3 48

to decrease driver bonuses to save money and invest more in autonomous vehicles.

POLICE

Use 'full force of law' against protesters, Javid tells Met The Daily Telegraph, 19/04/2019, p.1, Charles Hymas; Steve Bird; Jack Hardy Article Sajid Javid last night urged police to use the "full force of the law" against environmental activists bringing "misery to millions" as they threatened to extend the protests to Heathrow on one of the year's busiest weekends. Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, who was accused of "aggravating" the protests with earlier tacit support, last night pleaded with them to "co‐operate" with the police and not go ahead with the action. Mr Khan also spoke out, publicising a letter to the home secretary in which he blamed budget cuts for the Met's difficulty in managing the current protest.

Also in

4 49

THE ENVIRONMENT

Climate coverage goes mainstream as protesters force issue on to agenda The Guardian, 19/04/2019, p.36, Caroline Davies Article With Extinction Rebellion making headlines and Sir David Attenborough broadcasting The Facts, climate change is in the spotlight this Easter. The nation watched protesters disrupt public transport, turn London's roads into gardens and actively invite arrest in their hundreds. Attenborough's much heralded Climate Change: The Facts, broadcast last night, is part of a series of hard‐hitting documentaries by the corporation, including a forthcoming programme on human population growth, presented by Chris Packham.

Also in Daily Express, p.44 , Morning Star, p.8

Thatcher can teach green activists a lesson The Times, 19/04/2019, p.25, Philip Collins Article Against the backdrop of the eco‐demonstrations in London, Philip Collins suggests that Margaret Thatcher offered a way forward. She suggested "a vast international, cooperative effort" but the stress in her speech was on getting the economics right. "We must resist the simplistic tendency to blame modern multinational industry for the damage," she said, because "it is industry which will develop safe alternative chemicals for refrigerators and air conditioning".

6 51

7 52

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was "extremely concerned" about the possible disruption.

"This is extremely dangerous, illegal and is putting an unacceptable toll on our police force and our city," he said.

More than 1,000 officers have been deployed daily to deal with the protests.

Some have been working 12‐hour shifts, while rest days and leave have been cancelled.

The Met said the protests are putting a strain on policing in the capital with officers diverted away from "core local duties".

After a briefing from Met Commissioner Cressida Dick, the Home Secretary said: "I totally condemn any protesters who are stepping outside the boundaries of the law.

"They have no right to cause misery for the millions of people who are trying to lead their daily lives. Unlawful behaviour will not be tolerated.

"I expect the police to take a firm stance and use the full force of the law. They have my full backing in doing so."

Mass arrests for obstructing the highway and breaching the Section 14 order that prohibits protests apart from at Marble Arch do not appear to have deterred protesters and 10 people have been charged with those offences.

A further three people who were charged by British Transport Police appeared in court on Thursday morning.

Cathy Eastburn, 51, Mark Ovland, 35, and Luke Watson, 29, were remanded in custody over their alleged involvement in obstructing trains at Canary Wharf station on Wednesday morning.

Organisers said they expected more people to join the protests and warned they would continue until their demands are met.

The group wants the Government to declare a climate emergency and take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.

Actress Dame Emma Thompson joined the protests in London after flying from Los Angeles.

In a video shared by the campaign group on Thursday, the Hollywood star urged viewers to "come and join" the demonstrations.

A representative of Dame Emma said she needed to take the 5,400‐mile flight home to London after working in LA.

Large numbers of protesters moved from Oxford Circus to Parliament Square on Thursday night after organisers announced police were planning to make arrests in Westminster.

Sir David Attenborough's BBC documentary Climate Change: The Facts was projected on to Westminster Abbey. http://mediapoint.press.net/article.jsp?id=20739783

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2 54

She said it was the police's decision to expend manpower at a non‐violent protest. She added: "If they choose to close down a non‐violent protest by using their police... that's their decision. If that causes difficulties then that's their problem and their decision."

Earlier, on Friday morning, about 20 activists, most of them under 17, had staged a brief demonstration on roads near Heathrow Airport.

Standing close to a tunnel which leads to terminals two and three, they unfurled a black banner with the message: "Are we the last generation?"

Several police officers watched over group before an XR spokesman announced before midday there were no further plans to cause disruption at the airport.

All roads remained open during the demonstration, which is part of a two‐week campaign that began in central London on Monday.

Heathrow previously said it was "working with authorities" to remain business as usual.

Waterloo Bridge has now been blocked by demonstrators for five days despite the Metropolitan Police making more than 570 arrests.

Ten people had been charged by the force by Thursday night and three others arrested by British Transport Police were remanded in custody after they appeared in court accused of obstructing trains at Canary Wharf.

The Met said: "The protesters are using tactics of lying on the ground when approached. This means that it takes at least four officers to remove one person to ensure their safety which is resource intensive."

Routes are also blocked around Parliament Square and Marble Arch, and Home Secretary Sajid Javid has urged police to use the "full force of the law".

"I totally condemn any protesters who are stepping outside the boundaries of the law," Mr Javid said.

"They have no right to cause misery for the millions of people who are trying to lead their daily lives."

Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, told BBC Breakfast the protests were "very, very difficult" to handle and could cost "millions".

He said: "The sufferers will be the communities in the local boroughs where officers are being taken from the community areas and the funding and money has to be found to deal with what we are doing."

XR has pledged to continue causing disruption until its demands are met.

They want the Government to declare a climate emergency and take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.

Press Officer – Culture, Community, Education and Health, Mayor of London’s Press Office

GREATERLONDONAUTHORITY City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA

020 7983 | 07500 london.gov.uk | @LDN_pressoffice 2 60

Several police officers watched over the group before an XR spokesman announced before midday there were no further plans to cause disruption at the airport.

All roads remained open during the demonstration, which is part of a two‐week campaign that began in central London on Monday.

Waterloo Bridge has now been blocked by demonstrators for five days.

Ten people had been charged by the Met by Thursday night and three others arrested by British Transport Police were remanded in custody after they appeared in court accused of obstructing trains at Canary Wharf.

Routes are also blocked around Parliament Square and Marble Arch, and Home Secretary Sajid Javid has urged police to use the "full force of the law".

"I totally condemn any protesters who are stepping outside the boundaries of the law," Mr Javid said.

"They have no right to cause misery for the millions of people who are trying to lead their daily lives."

Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, told BBC Breakfast the protests were "very, very difficult" to handle and could cost "millions".

XR has pledged to continue causing disruption until its demands are met.

They want the Government to declare a climate emergency and take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025. http://mediapoint.press.net/article.jsp?id=20739783

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2 62

• It’s been a year since Richard Cottier, a father of 3, was shot dead by police at a petrol station in Romford. His family are now waiting for an inquest into his death. Ronke Philips met with his partner who said Richard had a history of depression and she felt police did not care and he was just another statistic. Richard had called the police himself saying he had a gun and they should shoot him before he shot others. He actually had an imitation weapon and no live ammunition. His partner believes this was a cry for help and is now determined to learn all she can about mental health

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2 64

Under the blazing sun, people were handing out water and asking if anyone wanted sun cream, some shielding themselves from the heat with rainbow-striped umbrellas.

But this is a bank holiday gathering with a difference, between police and activists converged at the centre of Oxford Circus.

If the police had kept more of a low-key presence earlier this week, there was no mistaking them now.

Dozens formed cordons in concentric circles - one around the pink boat at the protest's centre, then one around the press and protesters - and lines of officers further down Regent Street, preventing more people coming closer.

And officer numbers increased in the afternoon, with teams armed with tools removing those who had attached themselves to the boat.

The atmosphere has been good natured, with protesters chatting to officers, with a drum beating and colourful flags fluttering in the slight breeze.

But every now and then, whistles and cheers have gone up as protesters have been carried away to waiting police vans, with shouts of "climate justice now".

One protester addressing the activists by loudspeaker emphasised it was a peaceful event, urging people not to engage in any violent behaviour.

3 67

Meanwhile, two of the UK's leading thinkers on climate change dismissed the demand of Extinction Rebellion for virtually zero carbon emissions by 2025, arguing the 2050 date was more realistic.

Corrinne Le Quere, professor of climate change and science and policy at the University of East Anglia, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that 2025 was "probably quite unrealistic" as a target to "move completely away from fossil fuels".

The economist Lord Stern agreed, saying: "The target of zero net emissions by 2050 makes sense and that looks like the right one, and I think the government is quite likely - at least I hope it will, and we'll be pressing them to do that - to come up with that target sometime in the next few months, and I think it's very important they do."

Press Officer – Culture, Community, Education and Health, Mayor of London’s Press Office

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Around 30 police officers remained at the scene.

Page 4

Dame Emma Thompson has arrived at the Extinction Rebellion protest in Oxford Circus in central London.

Page 5

Dame Emma told reporters she had come to support the movement and had been greatly inspired by it.

She said her generation and politicians had failed young people.

She added: "We have seriously failed them and our planet is in serious trouble, we have much, much less time than we thought.

"I have seen the evidence for myself and I really care about my children and grandchildren enough to want to be here today to stand with the next generation."

Page 6

Dame Emma added: "This is the most pressing and urgent problem of our time, in the history of the human race."

Page 7

A spokesman for Extinction Rebellion said the group has no further plans to disrupt Heathrow Airport.

Page 8

When asked whether protesters were having too much fun, Dame Emma said protests should have a sense of joy.

She added: "If you can't have fun whilst saving the planet, what's the point?

"Protest should always have a sense of joy in it because what we are protesting about is saving this extraordinary home of ours and also celebrating the passion and inspiring energy of this young generation.

"These are young people who have finally said to my generation 'I'm so sorry but you have failed us'.

"We all feel dreadful about that. My feeling is I feel massively inspired by this young generation and want to stand next to them."

Page 9

Dame Emma ascended the ladder to the deck of the pink boat parked at Oxford Circus to cheers from the crowd.

She said: "We are here in this little island of sanity and it makes me so happy to be able to join you all and to add my voice to the young people here who have inspired a whole new movement."

Page 10

2 75 Dozens of officers strode into the crowd of activists at Oxford Circus and started to surround the pink boat which Dame Emma was in.

Page 11

Police officers are not letting people into the circle around the protesters.

One officer told bystanders that there was an ordinance to clear the area.

Page 12

Dame Emma climbed down from the pink boat and started talking to the activists glued to its frame.

Page 13

Police pushed bystanders further away from the blockade while dozens more officers moved in.

Dame Emma left the protest but told activists she was sorry she had to go.

She said it was the police's decision to expend manpower at a non‐violent protest.

She added: "If they choose to close down a non‐violent protest by using their police... that's their decision. If that causes difficulties then that's their problem and their decision."

Page 14

Police have begun carrying and leading activists away from the protest in Oxford Circus.

One woman was carried out the cordons by four officers and a man led away by two more.

Page 15

Specialist officers have entered the ring of police around the boat.

Officers wearing hi‐vis jackets with protester removal team written on them are within the cordon.

There are also officers wearing harnesses and carrying boxes of equipment and protective visors.

Page 16

Specialist officers have began cutting protesters from the frame of the pink boat in Oxford Circus.

Page 17

Police have surrounded the pink boat in Oxford Circus and the activists glued to its frame.

The other protesters have sat down in the street and officers are setting up a second ring around them.

3 76 Dozens of officers are stationed beyond the group by a number of police vans parked in Regent Street.

When asked if she was willing to be arrested, Dame Emma shrugged and said something off mic that could not be heard properly.

Page 18

Officers grabbed people trying to break through the police ring around climate change protesters in Oxford Circus and pushed them back.

Page 19

The number of people arrested in connection to the climate protest in central London has risen to 682, the Metropolitan Police said.

The force's events unit tweeted: "So far today we have made 106 arrests. This brings the total to 682.

"The serious disruption the demonstrations are causing to people in London and beyond is unacceptable and we completely understand the concern it is causing to those who are disrupted by it."

Page 20

Police have cleared the centre of Oxford Circus of protesters and are dismantling the pink ship.

Specialist officers wearing helmets and harnesses have taken down the mast and can be seen working on top of the boat.

Police have set up a wide cordon around the junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street with crowds of people watching the operation.

Drums and chants can be heard from the crowd, with many carrying banners and flags.

Page 21

Police have towed the pink boat at the centre of climate change protests out of the centre of Oxford Circus.

A truck was reversed into the junction and the boat turned on its frame in order to be attached to it.

While the boat was being manoeuvred into place crowds chanted "we have more boats" from outside the police cordon.

A police officer pushed a woman trying to get through the cordon, causing her to fall on her back on the street.

Two officers then escorted her away in front of an angry crowd.

Page 22

Police have pulled the cordon back to the entrance of Regent Street.

The pink boat has been towed out of Oxford Circus but remains behind the new cordon.

4 77 Climate change protesters have filled Oxford Circus again, with some sitting on the road.

Page 23

Police have towed off the pink boat from Oxford Circus.

The vessel was attached to a lorry and taken away up Regent Street followed by a number of jogging uniformed officers.

Regent Street is still cordoned off by officers.

Page 24

Climate change protesters have sat down in the road at the junction of Great Portland Street and Langham Street to stop the police towing away the pink boat.

One protester glued themselves to the road to stop the boat, campaign group Extinction Rebellion said.

But the group decided to let the boat go and the activists have began to move out of the vehicle's path.

The crowds, many of whom carried flags and banners, chanted "we love you" to the police convoy before departing. http://mediapoint.press.net/article.jsp?id=20741615

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5 78

The scenes unfolded as the Metropolitan Police said it had made 106 arrests by around 5.30pm on Friday, bringing the total since Monday to 682.

In a statement on Friday night the force said it had focused its arrests at Oxford Circus to give businesses the chance to get back to "business as usual".

It added: "One thing that is unusual about this demonstration is the willingness of those participating to be arrested and also their lack of resistance to the arrests.

"To date, since Monday April 15, we have made over 680 arrests and of course that places a logistical problem on, and not just, the police service for cell space but also the wider criminal justice system."

Routes are also blocked around Waterloo Bridge, Parliament Square and Marble Arch, and Home Secretary Sajid Javid has urged police to use the "full force of the law".

Dame Emma, the Oscar‐winning British actress, arrived in Oxford Circus on Friday and gave a speech to crowds from the boat before departing after the police surrounded the vessel.

XR has pledged to continue causing disruption until its demands are met.

They want the Government to declare a climate emergency and take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025. http://mediapoint.press.net/article.jsp?id=20739783

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2 80

It is demanding the UK government declare a climate and ecological emergency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025, and create a so‐called citizens’ assembly made up of members of the public, which would lead decision‐making in the fight against climate and ecological breakdown

XR said there were set to be protests in at least 80 cities in more than 33 countries.

Press Officer – Culture, Community, Education and Health, Mayor of London’s Press Office

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2 82

The police were not making any effort on Friday to clear protesters from Parliament Square, Waterloo Bridge or Marble Arch, the three other venues protesters have occupied since Monday.

The scale of the protests has stretched the Met’s resources. Many officers are working 12‐hour shifts and have had their Easter leave cancelled.

Extinction Rebellion wants the government to declare a climate emergency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a net level of zero by 2025 and create a “citizens’ assembly” to develop policies to reach this target.

Businesses in the West End say they have lost millions of pounds in revenue as shoppers have stayed away because of the protests.

The police operation at Oxford Circus began shortly after a speech by Oscar‐winning actor Emma Thompson.

She told the Financial Times her generation had “failed” young people and that the protests were necessary to get ministers’ attention. “The government has been silent on every issue except Brexit. They haven’t been governing for three years,” she said, adding that she was willing to be arrested.

Earlier on Friday morning, fewer than 20 activists, many of them teenagers, failed to disrupt road traffic at Heathrow, Britain’s biggest airport. They tried to occupy a roundabout but were quickly surrounded by police. The action, which organisers said would “shut down” the airport, lasted about an hour.

Heathrow said there had been no disruption to services. “We are working with the authorities to address any threat of protests which could disrupt the airport,” a spokesperson said.

“While we respect the right to peaceful protest and agree with the need to act on climate change, we don’t agree that passengers should have their well‐earned Easter break with family and friends disrupted.”

Press Officer – Culture, Community, Education and Health, Mayor of London’s Press Office

GREATERLONDONAUTHORITY City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA

020 7983 | 07500 london.gov.uk | @LDN_pressoffice

2 84

Since the 2016 referendum, people who would never have spent five minutes discussing Labour policy or Tory tax evasion spend at least five minutes every single day moaning about Brexit. We might think politicians are a scabby untrustworthy bunch, full of hot air and false promises, but at least we now talk about all our options going forward. We might hate the existing parties, and many of us dream of a new centrist movement. Brexit has been like Viagra, it has re‐energised parts that traditional politics has failed to reach. Passion (along with bad manners and loathing) has returned in everyday life. By the way, Brexit wasn’t the “biggest democratic exercise” in modern politics – more people voted in the 1992 general election.

Or course, being British, we disguise our new‐found interest in politics as exasperation and cynicism, but it’s undeniably there. Climate change is another issue, like Brexit, that will turn out to engage the British public in a way that politicians have been slow to notice. The London mayor has been lacklustre, failing to make radical changes to transport which would improve air quality. He failed to curb deliveries during office hours, failed to ban heavy lorries during daytime, failed to force all cabs and rental vehicles to convert to electricity. He hasn’t forced fast food outlets to reduce wrapping waste by 50 per cent or pay to clean the surrounding streets. In short, he has tinkered around the edges of the biggest problem impinging on the lives of city dwellers and workers.

This Easter, let’s celebrate the return of passion to our streets. It’s exactly what Jesus would have wanted.

Press Officer – Culture, Community, Education and Health, Mayor of London’s Press Office

GREATERLONDONAUTHORITY City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA

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2 86

Another demonstrator countered: "Dignified withdrawal is an option."

However, within minutes police numbers had dwindled, and demonstrators continued to occupy the road.

It comes as a video of police officers dragging demonstrators along the ground by the arms on Friday emerged, after Home Secretary Sajid Javid urged police to use the "full force of the law".

In the footage, a woman is seen being dragged along the road close to Oxford Circus by a police officer who then stumbles and falls over, knocking his hat off.

Another officer is seen dragging a man sideways.

It is one of the more aggressive encounters between police and demonstrators, which have so far remained largely good natured and peaceful.

XR tweeted that the movement was "peaceful and non violent", adding: "We face a climate and ecological emergency. Now is not the time to be on the wrong side of history".

The group has pledged to continue causing disruption until its demands are met.

It wants the Government to declare a climate emergency and take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025. http://mediapoint.press.net/article.jsp?id=20746087

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Page 4

Police say more than 715 people have now been arrested in connection with the Extinction Rebellion protests and 28 people have been charged.

Page 5

A member of XR said she had been told that some arrested demonstrators have been taken to Brighton and Southampton due to lack of custody space in London.

Page 6

Dozens of police have moved onto Waterloo Bridge, forming cordons.

Activists continued to play music as passers‐by gathered to watch the increased activity.

Demonstrators chanted "We love you" as the police advanced and surrounded a truck acting as a stage.

Page 7

XR said there were about 14 police vans on the southern end of Waterloo Bridge and they believe it is a "genuine concerted effort" to clear it.

Page 8

Nearly 50,000 new members have signed up to join XR since the protests started, the group said.

Page 9

Max Wedderburn, a 13‐year‐old from Milton Keynes, addressed crowds at Waterloo Bridge and received cheers and applause.

He said: "We are getting bigger, we are getting stronger, we are gathering momentum. Together we can change the future."

Speaking afterwards, he said he became inspired to fight against climate change after learning about it from his mother.

He added: "My lifelong dream is to become a zoologist but I feel there is no point if half of the animals are all dead by the time I reach that goal."

He spoke just yards from a police cordon, which formed more than an hour ago. Officers do not yet seem to be making arrests.

A pair of demonstrators were seen embracing each other from different sides of the cordon while one protester hugged a police officer.

Page 10

2 94 As police lined parts of Waterloo Bridge, watching the XR protest, Lyndon Edwardson told the Press Association he has been "locked on" to the River Thames crossing for the past couple of hours.

The 27‐year‐old and a friend have used chains and a cycle D‐lock to attach themselves to the bridge and to each other. He said they both took the action once officers arrived.

"We will be staying until they cut us out, hopefully we can be here as long as possible," the landscaper said ‐ revealing that four other campaigners are glued and locked on to a lorry parked on the bridge.

He was first arrested two days ago and said he is willing to be arrested again. He defended the group's actions, saying that they are justified because society is in an "extreme situation", adding: "All I want is a long life ‐ I am worried about having kids and grandchildren."

But despite the presence of officers amongst the protest, and the potential threat of clearance, he praised their actions, saying the police have been "brilliant", have worked "really hard" and made sure their rights are protected.

Mr Edwardson said he understands that the plan of the police is to "get rid of some of their infrastructure", so that they can try to reduce the size of the XR presence on the bridge.

Page 11

The number of people arrested at the climate change protests in London has topped 750 as of 4pm.

The Metropolitan Police said those who had been released under investigation "will be brought back to be formally interviewed and charged as appropriate in due course".

Page 12

At the lorry on Waterloo Bridge, officers could be seen around and underneath the truck as they worked to remove the campaigners who had attached themselves to the vehicle.

Over the sound of cutting equipment and hammering, singing could be heard from one highly spirited protester as officers worked to free them and at least four others.

With three officers carrying a female campaigner away at around 5pm, there were shouts of "we love you" from the protesters gathered on the other side of the police line.

Page 13

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said the situation facing officers as they attempt to clear climate change protesters from blocking streets is unprecedented.

She said she was "very proud" of the work of thousands of officers over the past six days, adding that she was aware that armchair critics would feel things could have been done differently.

Ms Dick said: "We have shown that we are strong, we are determined.

"I have never ‐ I've been a police officer for 36 years ‐ I have never known an operation, a single operation, in which over 700 people have been arrested.

"It shows we are determined and we will carry on."

3 95 Page 14

Another woman, who was freed from under the lorry by police at around 5.10pm, voluntarily walked away with an officer and could be heard saying: "I am desperate for a pee, so if you carry me I will pee."

Page 15

Following cries and protests from one of the campaigners under the vehicle, a man was tentatively brought out by officers, placed in handcuffs and then onto a stretcher before being carried away at around 5.20pm.

Close to one of the wheels of the lorry, a sign which read "caution my hand is glued" could be seen.

At least five officers worked under the truck to free the remaining protesters, with a number still on the roof. http://mediapoint.press.net/article.jsp?id=20747827

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When Dame Emma, who had previously said she wanted to be arrested, left the site, the police swiftly moved in, removing those chained or glued to the boat. They formed two rings, gradually pushing activists out of the area before officers dismantled the vessel, which was bolted to the ground.

By early evening, they had made 106 arrests, taking the total detained all week to 682.

Earlier, plans to shut down Heathrow airport were abandoned after the group's tactics were leaked.

Instead, about 15 under‐17s from the protest group stood outside the transport hub holding a large banner saying: "Are we the last generation?" Bryony Gordon: Page 27

'These people are from suburbia. They are saying, "Please be careful when you put handcuffs on"'

Press Officer – Culture, Community, Education and Health, Mayor of London’s Press Office

GREATERLONDONAUTHORITY City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA

020 7983 | 07500 london.gov.uk | @LDN_pressoffice

2 98

- Spoken to PM? Not saying who she has spoken to - spoken to many senior politicians and has a direct line to Mayor and Home Sec. (In response to suggestions others are influencing policing strategy) Operations on the ground are for MPS, BTP and City to direct and we will direct how we police them.

- Lessons learnt? After any large scale op we will look to see if there is anything else we can do differently. Legal side? We might need to speak to CJ colleagues about legal framework but now not the time to do that. If powers are insufficient then we will be asking for changes, but now not the time to go into that.

- Marathon next week? My message to protestors is that the marathon is a large event, and a lot of people across UK will be furious if it was disrupted by protest.

- The video of officers dragging people? Officers have been in challenging situations where they have refused to move and been obstructing officers from doing their work in a challenging operation. Won't comment on individual cases.

- MPS is a huge service that is continuing to run its business, and dealing with violent crime. Officers working extensive hours. Will adapt and flex as we need to, and will ask for help if we need to. Very very proud of what we have achieved - Heathrow not disrupted, Officers been extraordinarily professional. It is has been very busy these last few days, but staff been very professional.

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"The climate emergency is just such a serious thing, and for me I'm willing to put in as much time and energy as I can spare and try and use everything I can to try and make the situation better."

On Saturday afternoon the police managed to successfully clear demonstrators in the junction at Oxford Circus, which was reopened to traffic, while dozens of officers carried out arrests on Waterloo Bridge and slowly removed campaigners who had attached themselves to a truck acting as a stage.

Asked what he will do if police ask him to leave, Stott said: "I am going to say I am not moving on, because I want to stay here until the Government declare a climate emergency."

Stott said he was currently studying for his final module of a psychology degree he has been working towards for 10 years at the Open University.

He said he was worried about putting aside his assignments, but declared that "the time is now and I've got to be here".

He said: "It's a critical time for me and I felt really bad I had not come down earlier because I was trying to do my stuff, but then I realised this has gone so far now in London that we need to keep it going and just try and maintain that pressure, maintain that visibility, so people realise this is desperately serious, and we are serious to try and get this sorted out."

He added: "I feel like it is really really tough to disrupt people's lives like this, but this is really important because I believe the disruption that will come down the line if we do not declare a climate emergency and do not tackle this situation of climate change, it will just dwarf any inconvenience here today."

http://mediapoint.press.net/article.jsp?id=20752083

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Neither the Met nor the Mayor's Office would say whether they were considering the proposals.

The announcement comes on the seventh day of the protests, with the teenager who inspired the climate change school strikes due to join crowds later on Easter Sunday.

Greta Thunberg is expected to address Extinction Rebellion members ahead of meeting senior British politicians next week.

The 16‐year‐old Swedish activist has already met Pope Francis and spoken at the European Parliament.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said the policing operation had been unlike any she had experienced in almost four decades of policing, and called for the "miserable" disruption to end.

The Mayor said more than 9,000 police officers had been responding to the protests, which had proved "extremely challenging for our over‐stretched and under‐resourced police".

Mr Khan said he shared activists' passion about tackling climate change but added: "I'm extremely concerned about the impact the protests are having on our ability to tackle issues like violent crime if they continue any longer. It simply isn't right to put Londoners' safety at risk like this.

"My message to all protesters today is clear: you must now let London return to business as usual."

On Saturday afternoon, police managed to successfully clear demonstrators in the junction at Oxford Circus, which was reopened to traffic, while dozens of officers carried out arrests on Waterloo Bridge and slowly removed campaigners who had attached themselves to a truck acting as a stage.

The lorry was cleared from the area at 5.18am on Sunday, police said. http://mediapoint.press.net/article.jsp?id=20752407

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Controversially, the group is trying to get as many people arrested as possible.

But critics say they cause unnecessary disruption and waste police time when forces are already overstretched.

Press Officer – Culture, Community, Education and Health, Mayor of London’s Press Office

GREATERLONDONAUTHORITY City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA

020 7983 | 07500 london.gov.uk | @LDN_pressoffice

2 108

‐

http://mediapoint.press.net/article.jsp?id=20758151

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2 114

Extinction Rebellion members showed no signs of voluntarily shifting under the hot sun over the Easter weekend, watched by tourists and families enjoying the end of the school holidays.

On Saturday night, candlelit vigils were held as campaigners sang.

The Commissioner said she was grateful for the help from "hundreds" of officers drafted in from "several" forces, including the neighbouring City of London.

She added that custody suites in London were "certainly very busy" but not yet full, amid reports from demonstrators that some people had been taken outside of the capital.

Ms Dick said she was "not embarrassed" about the length of time it is taking officers to clear the streets, defending their "determination and the resilience and the courage that they are showing in the face of quite a lot of difficulty".

She predicted that large numbers of people would be "furious" if the demonstrations affect the London Marathon, which will take place next Sunday.

The Commissioner said she will be talking to the Government and criminal justice colleagues to see if changes to the police's powers should be made to help officers deal with non‐violent demonstrators when they are acting unlawfully.

"That is the dilemma and if our powers are insufficient, if we don't have sufficient deterrents in the criminal justice system, then I will certainly be asking for changes."

The group has pledged to continue causing disruption until its demands are met.

It wants the Government to declare a climate emergency and take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025. http://mediapoint.press.net/article.jsp?id=20752407

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2 117

reform from the Competition and Markets Authority ‐ an "operational split" between audit and consultancy services, to reduce the "distracting interest" of more lucrative non‐audit work; and mandatory joint audit, including at least one non‐big four firm, for most of the UK's large companies.

Will they do any good? I'm not as sceptical as some. Use of the audit as a loss leader for the sale of more lucrative professional and business services has long been a major cause for concern, resulting in an obvious conflict of interest and blurring of boundaries, which in a number of instances has demonstrably compromised the audit. Is the main job of the big accounting practices to provide oversight on behalf of creditors ‐ the function of audited accounts ‐ or to enrich themselves by selling other services? The importance of this latter activity to the UK economy is not to be underestimated. Professional and business services are estimated to have generated some £70bn of exports last year, and have consistently grown faster than any other sector of the UK economy, generating some two million new, relatively highly paid jobs over the last 40 years. Already struggling with the challenges of Brexit, which threatens to limit these sales in overseas markets, this may not be the best time for a regulatory crackdown.

Global companies, moreover, require highly specialised skills and international reach. According to Hermione Hudson, UK head of assurance at PwC, "between 20‐50pc of the work on PwC's largest audits may be performed by specialists who are not themselves financial auditors, such as cyber, pensions, tax, valuation and technology experts".

Plainly, there is some risk of throwing the baby out with the bath water. All the same, formal separation, which in any case some firms claim virtually to have done already, doesn't strike me as an altogether bad development. Certainly it would concentrate minds among those confined to audit, encouraging them to focus on their proper, regulatory purpose, and making them less subject to management capture and deception.

A dual audit might carry a cost, but it would also help keep the accountants honest, and by making predatory pricing more difficult, promote the development of viable challenger firms to compete with the stranglehold of the big four. But will these reforms prevent the next accounting scandal in the making? I wouldn't bet on it.

Ever been a worse mayor? Come back Ken Livingstone, all is forgiven? It is hard to imagine anything worse than the present incumbent Sadiq Khan. His apparent toleration of the Extinction Rebellion protests, which have brought large parts of the capital to a virtual standstill, is a disgrace to the position, and his constant buck‐passing over delays and cost overruns to CrossRail, a shameful abdication of responsibility.

'Removal of uncertainties ought to breathe new life into business and consumer confidence'

Press Officer – Culture, Community, Education and Health, Mayor of London’s Press Office

GREATERLONDONAUTHORITY City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA

020 7983 | 07500 london.gov.uk | @LDN_pressoffice

2 120

The announcement comes on the seventh day of the protests, with the teenager who inspired the climate change school strikes due to join crowds later on Easter Sunday.

Greta Thunberg is expected to address Extinction Rebellion members ahead of meeting senior British politicians next week.

The 16‐year‐old Swedish activist has already met Pope Francis and spoken at the European Parliament.

Hundreds of officers from other forces have been drafted in to help quell the ongoing disruption and more than 750 peaceful activists have been arrested in less than a week. http://mediapoint.press.net/article.jsp?id=20752407

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Greta Thunberg is expected to address Extinction Rebellion members on Easter Sunday ahead of meeting senior British politicians next week.

The 16‐year‐old Swedish activist has already met Pope Francis and spoken at the European Parliament.

On Bank Holiday Monday, the group plans to hold a picnic on the Westway and peacefully block the road near Edgware Road underground station.

After fierce criticism of their ‘softly‐softly’ tactics, police officers yesterday finally broke‐up the Oxford Circus protest site.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick condemned last week’s ‘miserable disruption’ which has led to more than 750 people being arrested, with 28 charged.

Hundreds of officers from other forces have been drafted in to help quell the ongoing disruption.

Police have been trying to confine the protests to one site in London, at Marble Arch, but protesters have ignored the threat of arrest and continued to block roads across the capital.

Ms Dick said: 'I have never ‐ I've been a police officer for 36 years ‐ I have never known an operation, a single operation, in which over 700 people have been arrested.'

She said she was ‘not embarrassed’ about the length of time it is taking officers to clear the streets, defending their ‘determination and the resilience and the courage that they are showing in the face of quite a lot of difficulty’.

Ms Dick predicted that large numbers of people would be ‘furious’ if the demonstrations affect the London Marathon, which will take place next Sunday.

‘That is the dilemma and if our powers are insufficient, if we don't have sufficient deterrents in the criminal justice system, then I will certainly be asking for changes.’

The group has pledged to continue causing disruption until its demands are met.

It wants the Government to declare a climate emergency and take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.

There are increasing fears that protests by XR, which boasts more than 100 regional groups, could spread nationwide.

Leaked minutes from a meeting of activists in Devon earlier this year reveal plans to ‘educate children and infiltrate the school system’ along with the use of puppets and street theatre to blockade streets.

Press Officer – Culture, Community, Education and Health, Mayor of London’s Press Office

GREATERLONDONAUTHORITY City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA

2 125

POLICE

The Times (P15) - Climate protesters split over their next move Climate protesters in London have signalled they are willing to call a halt to their activities, provided they can open talks with Sadiq Khan and other political leaders. A week of civil disobedience forced the Metropolitan Police to call in 200 officers from outside forces, and Mr Khan said he was "extremely concerned about the impact the protests are having on our ability to tackle issues like violent crime". He added: "My message to all protesters today is clear: you must now let London return to business as usual." (circulated) Also in The Daily Telegraph, p.11 , The Guardian, p.7 , The Independent Daily Edition, p.12 , Financial Times, p.2 , Daily Express, p.21 , Daily Mail, p.25 , Daily Mail, p.18 , The Daily Mirror, p.7 , The Sun, p.2 , The Sun, p.12 , The Sun, p.37 , The Daily Telegraph, p.17 , The Guardian, p.7 , The Guardian, p.4 , Daily Star, p.31

2 128

THE ENVIRONMENT

The Times (P33) - Business leaders voice support for climate activists who shut down capital Comment: business leaders, including former Unilever CEO Paul Polman, have written in support of the Extinction Rebellion agenda, while expressing their regret at the costs the protests have imposed on business, as: "future costs imposed on our economies by the climate emergency will be many orders of magnitude greater." (circulated) Also in The Times, p.24 , The Daily Telegraph, p.16 , The Independent Daily Edition, p.29 , i (The paper for today), p.4 , i (The paper for today), p.4 , i (The paper for today), p.15 , i (The paper for today), p.49 , Financial Times, p.20 , Financial Times, p.8 , Daily Express, p.21 , The Daily Mirror, p.37 , The Sun, p.12

EQUALITY & DIVERSITY

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chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe as the devil, the Guardian says. The chemical company Ineos “has been announced as the new sponsor of what was Team Sky – home to Tour de France winners Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas”, it adds.

Deforestation: Tropical tree losses persist at high levels Matt McGrath, BBC News

Several publications report on new data from the Global Forest Watch showing that around 12m hectares of forest in the world’s tropical regions were lost in 2018. This is the “equivalent to 30 football fields per minute”, BBC News reports. The data shows that deforestation is “still on an upward trend”, the Guardian reports. “Although 2018 losses were lower than in 2016 and 2017, when dry conditions led to large fires, last year was the next worst since 2002, when such records began,” the Guardian says. InsideClimate News says the rate of forest loss “threatens a crucial climate solution”.

Carbon capture crucial to hit green targets, say MPs Nathalie Thomas, Financial Times

The Financial Times covers a new report from MPs finding that the UK cannot “credibly” reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero without the widespread use of carbon capture technology, but government support for the fledgling industry has been “turbulent". A business, energy and industrial strategy (BEIS) select committee said current policies on carbon capture are “so broad as to be meaningless”, the FT adds. Reuters also has the story.

Climate change and sexual harassment top list of girls' concerns Amy Walker, The Guardian

Climate change and tackling sexual harassment are the main concerns for girls and young women in the UK, according to research covered by the Guardian. The results come from a consultation with 76,000 girls and young women aged from four to 25 in the UK by the Girl Guiding organisation.

Climate and energy comment

Greta Thunberg is right – only a general strike will force action on climate change McEver Dugan and Evan Cholerton, The Guardian

Comment and opinion surrounding 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg continues in the UK media. The Guardian carries an opinion article from McEver Dugan and Evan Cholerton from the grassroots movement Earth Strike that argues that Thunberg “is right” to call for a general strike to force action on climate change. “For whatever comes, we will fight, and strike, together,” the article reads. An

2 140 editorial in the Sun says Thunberg is “admirable”, but “what troubles us are the credulous adults fawning over her”. “The general strike Greta demands – or the end of air travel – would bring only chaos and hardship,” it adds. The Daily Mail carries a comment piece from Stephen Glover which also “admires” Thunberg, but asks “why DO our fawning politicians lose all reason over climate change?” An opinion by Rod Liddle in the Sun carries comments from climate sceptic Piers Corbyn attacking politicians that pay attention to Thunberg. Meanwhile, writer Deborah Orr says in the i newspaper that “the lineup of those attacking Greta Thunberg will only make you like her more”. The Daily Telegraph carries an in-depth profile of Thunberg. The New Yorker also carries a comment piece surrounding Thunberg’s activism. Edie explores how “key MPs” have responded to Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion.

Climate change: animation shows US leading the world in carbon emissions Umair Irfan, Vox

Several publications carry a Carbon Brief animation of showing cumulative greenhouse gas emissions by country since 1750. Vox says the “stunning animation” makes it “abundantly clear is that the United States of America is the all-time biggest, baddest greenhouse gas emitter on the planet”. Grist says the animation “captures just how gigantic the US carbon footprint is”. Mashable also carries the animation.

How Big Oil tried (but failed) to capture the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Mat Hope, DeSmog UK

DeSmog UK carries a new series exploring how “a secretive fossil fuel lobby group undertook a decades- long campaign to undermine mainstream climate science while spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to try and influence major scientific reports”. Newly released documents show that the Global Climate Coalition (GCC), a fossil-fuel backed lobby group active in the mid-90s and early 2000s, “tried to manipulate the UN’s official scientific advisory body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),” DeSmog UK reports. A second article released today shows how the GCC “manipulated climate programs”.

New climate science

Clean air for some: Unintended spillover effects of regional air pollution policies Science Advances

Efforts to reduce air pollution in China’s cities could increase pollution, CO2 emissions and water consumption in neighbouring regions, a new study suggests. Using atmospheric chemical transport modelling, the researchers simulate clean air policy scenarios and evaluate their environmental impacts on PM2.5 emissions, CO2 emissions and water consumption in the cities of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei and the spillover effects to other regions. The findings suggest that the benefits of the policies come at the cost

3 141 of pushing polluting industries to other nearby areas that have less efficient technologies and often lower environmental standards, the researchers conclude.